IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aen/journl/ej38-si1-bothwell.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Crediting Wind and Solar Renewables in Electricity Capacity Markets: The Effects of Alternative Definitions upon Market Efficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Cynthia Bothwell and Benjamin F. Hobbs

Abstract

As the penetration of variable renewable energy in electricity markets grows, there is increasing need for capacity markets to account for the contribution of renew-ables to system adequacy. An important issue is the inconsistent industry definition of capacity credits for resources whose availability may be limited, such as renewable generation. Inaccurate credits can subsidize or penalize different resources, and consequently distort investment between renewables and non-renew-ables, and also among different types and locations of renewables. Using Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) data, we use a market equilibrium model to quantify the resulting loss of efficiency due to capacity credits alone and in combination with renewable tax subsidies and portfolio standards. Layering inaccurate capacity credits with existing US federal tax subsidies decreases efficiency as much as 6.3% compared to optimal capacity crediting under those subsidies. Compensating producers based on their marginal contributions to system adequacy, considering how renewable penetration affects the timing of net load peaks, can yield an efficient capacity market design.

Suggested Citation

  • Cynthia Bothwell and Benjamin F. Hobbs, 2017. "Crediting Wind and Solar Renewables in Electricity Capacity Markets: The Effects of Alternative Definitions upon Market Efficiency," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(KAPSARC S).
    • Handle: RePEc:aen:journl:ej38-si1-bothwell
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.iaee.org/en/publications/ejarticle.aspx?id=2910
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to IAEE members and subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter Cramton & Axel Ockenfels, 2012. "Economics and Design of Capacity Markets for the Power Sector," Papers of Peter Cramton 12cocap, University of Maryland, Department of Economics - Peter Cramton, revised 2012.
    2. Neuhoff, Karsten & De Vries, Laurens, 2004. "Insufficient incentives for investment in electricity generations," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 253-267, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bhagwat, Pradyumna C. & Iychettira, Kaveri K. & Richstein, Jörn C. & Chappin, Emile J.L. & De Vries, Laurens J., 2017. "The effectiveness of capacity markets in the presence of a high portfolio share of renewable energy sources," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 76-91.
    2. Shu, Han & Mays, Jacob, 2023. "Beyond capacity: Contractual form in electricity reliability obligations," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    3. Muñoz, Francisco D. & Suazo-Martínez, Carlos & Pereira, Eduardo & Moreno, Rodrigo, 2021. "Electricity market design for low-carbon and flexible systems: Room for improvement in Chile," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PB).
    4. Kozlova, Mariia & Huhta, Kaisa & Lohrmann, Alena, 2023. "The interface between support schemes for renewable energy and security of supply: Reviewing capacity mechanisms and support schemes for renewable energy in Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    5. Gabriel Diaz & Francisco D. Muñoz & Rodrigo Moreno, 2020. "Equilibrium Analysis of a Tax on Carbon Emissions with Pass-through Restrictions and Side-payment Rules," The Energy Journal, , vol. 41(2), pages 93-122, March.
    6. Astier, Nicolas & Ovaere, Marten, 2022. "Reliability standards and generation adequacy assessments for interconnected electricity systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    7. Lynch, Muireann Á. & Longoria, Genora & Curtis, John, 2021. "Future market design options for electricity markets with high RES-E: lessons from the Irish Single Electricity Market," Papers WP702, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    8. Sebastian Schäfer & Lisa Altvater, 2019. "On the functioning of a capacity market with an increasing share of renewable energy," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 59-84, August.
    9. Brito-Pereira, Paulo & Rodilla, Pablo & Mastropietro, Paolo & Batlle, Carlos, 2022. "Self-fulfilling or self-destroying prophecy? The relevance of de-rating factors in modern capacity mechanisms," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    10. Joseph Nyangon & John Byrne, 2023. "Estimating the impacts of natural gas power generation growth on solar electricity development: PJM's evolving resource mix and ramping capability," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(1), January.
    11. Brown, David P., 2018. "Capacity payment mechanisms and investment incentives in restructured electricity markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 131-142.
    12. Brown, Patrick R. & O'Sullivan, Francis M., 2020. "Spatial and temporal variation in the value of solar power across United States electricity markets," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    13. David Brown, 2018. "Capacity Market Design: Motivation and Challenges in Alberta’s Electricity Market," SPP Briefing Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 11(12), March.
    14. Newbery, David M., 2023. "High renewable electricity penetration: Marginal curtailment and market failure under “subsidy-free” entry," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    15. Bhagwat, Pradyumna C. & Iychettira, Kaveri K. & Richstein, Jörn C. & Chappin, Emile J.L. & Vries, Laurens J. De, 2017. "The effectiveness of capacity markets in the presence of a high portfolio share of renewable energy sources," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 48, pages 76-91.
    16. Khan, Agha Salman M. & Verzijlbergh, Remco A. & Sakinci, Ozgur Can & De Vries, Laurens J., 2018. "How do demand response and electrical energy storage affect (the need for) a capacity market?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 214(C), pages 39-62.
    17. Peter, Jakob & Wagner, Johannes, 2018. "Optimal Allocation of Variable Renewable Energy Considering Contributions to Security of Supply," EWI Working Papers 2018-2, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).
    18. Han Shu & Jacob Mays, 2022. "Beyond capacity: contractual form in electricity reliability obligations," Papers 2210.10858, arXiv.org.
    19. Brito-Pereira, Paulo & Mastropietro, Paolo & Rodilla, Pablo & Barroso, Luiz Augusto & Batlle, Carlos, 2022. "Adjusting the aim of capacity mechanisms: Future-proof reliability metrics and firm supply calculations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    20. Mastropietro, Paolo & Rodilla, Pablo & Batlle, Carlos, 2019. "De-rating of wind and solar resources in capacity mechanisms: A review of international experiences," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 253-262.
    21. S. Wogrin & D. Tejada-Arango & S. Delikaraoglou & A. Lamadrid & A. Botterud, 2022. "The impact of convexity on expansion planning in low-carbon electricity markets," TOP: An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research, Springer;Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, vol. 30(3), pages 574-593, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sebastian Schäfer & Lisa Altvater, 2019. "On the functioning of a capacity market with an increasing share of renewable energy," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 59-84, August.
    2. Karsten Neuhoff & Sophia Rüster & Sebastian Schwenen, 2015. "Power Market Design beyond 2020: Time to Revisit Key Elements?," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1456, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Andor, Mark A. & Frondel, Manuel & Schmidt, Christoph M. & Simora, Michael & Sommer, Stephan, 2015. "Klima- und Energiepolitik in Deutschland: Dissens und Konsens," RWI Materialien 91, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    4. Keppler, Jan Horst & Quemin, Simon & Saguan, Marcelo, 2022. "Why the sustainable provision of low-carbon electricity needs hybrid markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    5. Heo, Deung-Yong & Tesfatsion, Leigh, 2013. "Standardized Contracts with Swing for the Market-Supported Procurement of Energy and Reserve: Illustrative Examples," Staff General Research Papers Archive 36747, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    6. Chi-Keung Woo, Ira Horowitz, Brian Horii, Ren Orans, and Jay Zarnikau, 2012. "Blowing in the Wind: Vanishing Payoffs of a Tolling Agreement for Natural-gas-fired Generation of Electricity in Texas," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    7. Elberg, Christina, 2014. "Cross-Border Effects of Capacity Mechanisms in Electricity Markets," EWI Working Papers 2014-11, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).
    8. Woo, C.K. & Zarnikau, J. & Moore, J. & Horowitz, I., 2011. "Wind generation and zonal-market price divergence: Evidence from Texas," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 3928-3938, July.
    9. Gawel, Erik & Lehmann, Paul & Purkus, Alexandra & Söderholm, Patrik & Witte, Katherina, 2017. "Rationales for technology-specific RES support and their relevance for German policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 16-26.
    10. Winkler, Jenny & Gaio, Alberto & Pfluger, Benjamin & Ragwitz, Mario, 2016. "Impact of renewables on electricity markets – Do support schemes matter?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 157-167.
    11. Meyer, Roland & Gore, Olga, 2015. "Cross-border effects of capacity mechanisms: Do uncoordinated market design changes contradict the goals of the European market integration?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 9-20.
    12. Muñoz, José Ignacio & Sánchez de la Nieta, Agustín A. & Contreras, Javier & Bernal-Agustín, José L., 2009. "Optimal investment portfolio in renewable energy: The Spanish case," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5273-5284, December.
    13. Mier, Mathias, 2021. "Efficient pricing of electricity revisited," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    14. Meunier, Guy, 2013. "Risk aversion and technology mix in an electricity market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 866-874.
    15. Simshauser, P., 2020. "Merchant utilities and boundaries of the firm: vertical integration in energy-only markets," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2039, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    16. Elders, I. & Ault, G. & Galloway, S. & McDonald, J. & Köhler, J. & Leach, M. & Lampaditou , E., 2006. "Electricity Network Scenarios for Great Britain in 2050," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0609, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    17. Gugler, Klaus & Haxhimusa, Adhurim, 2019. "Market integration and technology mix: Evidence from the German and French electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 30-46.
    18. Guy Meunier, 2014. "Risk Aversion and Technology Portfolios," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 44(4), pages 347-365, June.
    19. Simshauser, Paul, 2019. "Missing money, missing policy and Resource Adequacy in Australia's National Electricity Market," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Adrien de Hauteclocque & Jean-Michel Glachant, 2011. "Long-term Contracts and Competition Policy in European Energy Markets," Chapters, in: Jean-Michel Glachant & Dominique Finon & Adrien de Hauteclocque (ed.), Competition, Contracts and Electricity Markets, chapter 9, Edward Elgar Publishing.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F0 - International Economics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aen:journl:ej38-si1-bothwell. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: David Williams (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iaeeeea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.